Skip to main content

The Cruise Industry

I heard a podcast the other day about the cruise industry that was quite shocking. It told the grim tale about how 2020 had essentially gutted the cruise season and shut the whole industry down for months. That is that COVID SHUT the WHOLE industry down for the rest of the year. In that cast I learned that each company makes money by the boatload (LITERALLY). They have seasons where they make billions and so, like Joseph in Egypt during the years of plenty, they do what the interviewer stated as, “stocking their war chests”. 

The cruise ship industry seems like such a romantic way to make a living but it has its pitfalls. One of those was brought to light last year when without notice the companies received word from host countries that they were no longer to accept any passengers. Did you know that each of those big babies has 1,000 workers and crew aboard? That is a lot of people even without guests. So, the dilemma that was caused was that they had to figure out how to get those crewmembers home. They are not all U.S. based. In fact they come from all over the world. HERE is a link to an article similar to the one I heard in a podcast. 

Thinking of rough ship rides you should read Acts chapter 27 and 28 for an interesting seafaring story. That is what these chapters are about. It is Paul’s journey from Caesarea Philippi to Rome. It is quite a tale and only lacks pirates to top off the excitement. 

Why did Luke put these chapters in his account? Of course the answer is that it was a part of Paul's life journey. Stuff like this happens when you are a missionary! At least in some missionaries' lives. 

Paul was a prisoner during his Mediterranean cruise and he was headed to his final destination. He would go through rough waters to get there. He tried to give advice to the captain and owner of the ship but they didn't listen and lost their livelihood. 

At the island where they ran a ground Paul was gathering sticks to put on a fire that had been lit to warm the castaways. As he did a snake lurched and sunk its fangs into Paul's hand. Paul shook the critter off into the fire and kept on working. 

The islanders thought that the gods of the sea were getting justice and waited for Paul to drop dead. When he didn't these people changed their minds and said that he was a god! 

This account highlights the end of Paul's story but it heralds the way for Paul's epistles. Read it and marvel at God's protective care. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Caught up to Paradise - 2 Corinthians 12

Residing in Michigan for over half my life, I had heard about Paradise. Because Paradise is a small town in the Upper Peninsula, you may have never visited there in your life, but you knew it existed. It was WAY up there next to Tahquamenon Falls and nothing else. Where's Tahquamenon Falls? Next to Paradise and nothing else. It's a long way from home.  Why all of the talk about Paradise? Because Paul talks about it in 2 Corinthians 12. There was this guy who had been caught up to Paradise. Not in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but into the REAL Paradise. While there, he'd heard things that he was unable to repeat. What on earth was this? Who was this guy? Here's what was going on. Paul defended his position of Apostleship in chapter eleven and gave the Corinthians an idea of what Apostleship looked like in chapter twelve. It came with great wonders, like seeing or instead hearing unimaginable things. But, too, that position came with a terrible cost. God gave Paul a &q
Post a Comment
Read more

What to get God for Christmas

Jesus left perfect surroundings, relationships and glory to be born into squalor. He was homeless before birth. His father was a carpenter in a culture where carpentry was a despised trade. His, mother though young and giving birth to her firstborn, had no attendant nurses, helpers or friends. Rather than a pristine hospital, birth was given in the filthy stench of a stable. Romantic? Hardly. This sacrifice brought a life of hardship. Why? Why this odd story? Obedience. God's gift to humanity was His son. Jesus' gift was obedience to the Father. He paid the greatest price. Not because we are special but because he loves His Father. His gift was the perfect gift. Our Father wants obedience for Christmas and every other day for that matter. In Brazil Christmas is becoming commercialized. A phenomenon familiar for years in the United States tickles a growing economy. There is little time for meditation on God's Gift. There are no chestnuts roasting or Jack Frost nippin
Post a Comment
Read more

Stop Trusting

Isaiah 2:22 says Isaiah 2:22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? The Prophet is saying that we shouldn't put our trust in humankind because they are so finite. They are not like God, who is infinite. People are fickle. They change their minds. They love you and then hate you in moments.  God invites us to trust him completely with everything that we have. He doesn't show himself to us physically or as a spirit. He demands that we have faith. However, he also gives us the faith to trust him.  The universe shouts "Creator!" and yet we often ignore the proclamation. This ignorance does not make God's creation any less a physical demonstration of his grandeur. God's boundless being becomes more amazing in his presence within us. How can the infinite God dwell in the mortals he commands us not to trust?  Jesus said, "with man it is impossible but with God, all things are possible." 
Post a Comment
Read more